OMEGA  ET  ALPHA 

BY 
GREVILLE  D'ARVILLE 


ROBERT  ERNEST  COWAN 


OMEGA    ET    ALPHA 


AND    OTHER   POEMS 


BY 


GREVILLE  D'ARVILLE 


D.    P.    ELDER    AND    MORGAN    SHEPARD 
SAN    FRANCISCO 


1899 


COPYRIGHTED      1899 


GREVILLE      D   ARVILLE. 


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RESPECTFULLY     INSCRIBED 

TO     THOSE     THAT     READ,     YEA,     THOSE     THAT     WILL, 
AND     MAY     ITS     PAGES     LOVE     INSTILL. 


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274403 


TO    MY   CRITICS. 


I    fain    would    ask    of  thee, 
As    critics,    true    and    brave, 
If  I    a    poet    be ; 
And    not    a    rhyming    knave? 

For   if  I    fail    in    rhyme, 
With    mind    intent    on    high, 
The    lofty    heights    to    climb  ; 
Forgive    me    then — I    die. 


OMEGA 

ET 
ALPHA. 


OMEGA. 


THE  OMEGA. 

jt   "Sic    Transit    Gloria    Mundi." 


QERAPHIC    blasts — the    trumpet    sounds    afar, 

Again    it    sounds    and    awe    it  struck  with  chill ; 
An    awful    stillness    swept    the    earth    about ; 
The    mighty    billows    ceased    their    plunge    and    roar, 
And    like    a    mirrored    glass,    silently    lay 
The    oceans,    lulled    beneath    impending    doom. 
The    sky    with    clouds    fast    gathered    thick, 
Then    darker    yet,    in    somberness,    they    grew. 
The   joyous    birds    in    midst    their    singing    ceased, 
Their    matins    left    unfinished,    yet    from    fear 
And    anguish    they    were    free,    for    no    distrust 
Of  Him    had    ever    filled    their    loyal    breast ; 
They    sang    His    praises — it    their    daily    task — 
The    beasts    of  prey    now    docile    stood    and    heard, 
Attentive    lest    a    sound    should    'scape    their    ear. 
The  rippling  streams  their  babbling  ceased  and  flowed 
On    silently,    expectant    of  the   just 
Decree    (intuitively    learned    of  Him). 
The    lilies    of  the    marsh    seem    glad    and    list, 

ii 


And    flowers    scattered    o'er    the    universe 
Are    wreathed    in    smiles    of  coming   joy,    tho'    dark 
And    frowning   is    the    sky,    they   see    beyond 
Earth's    Paradise — restored    and    fresh    as    in 
Its    former    magnitude    and    heav'nly    prime. 
The    murmur    of  the    trees,    the    moaning    pines 
Were    hushed    for    want    of  zephyrs    playing    thro'; 
The   winds    obeying    slunk    in   peace    away, 
And    gathered    for    the    final    tragedy. 
The    briars    and    the    brambles — that    offend — 
With    evil    omen    heard    the   piercing   blasts, 
Since    Sin    its    shadow   cast    upon    the    earth, 
Unequal    they    beside    the    fairest    flow'r 
Had  thrived,  and  from  them  health  and  vigor  drew — 
Illicit,    sapping    life — vitality. 
The    muttering    thunder,    culminating — crash, — 
Vibrating    swift — another   breaks    afresh. 
The    lurid    flames    of  lightning   zigzagged    forth, 
From    north    to    south,  their    strange    allurement    lent ; 
From    east    to    west    the    earth    is    reeling    now — 
To    and    fro,    swinging    like    a    pendulum. 
The    finny    tribe,    inhabitants    beneath 
The    deep    cerulean    seas,    the    surface    seek, 
12 


With    conscious    sense    of  awe    and    honor    due, 

Their    quest    for    food    and    prey    forgotten    is ; 

From    caverns    fair,   'and    caverns    dark    they   come. 

Palatial    homes    of  shell,    deserted    are, 

Resplendent    in    their    iridescent    hues, 

The    mossy    dells    no    roaming    stranger    lures. 

Another    blast — the   thunder    rolls    and    crash — 

A    Voice    from    Heaven    sounds    and    all    is    still — 

The    veil   is    rent    and    heaven    opens    as    a    scroll — 

And  He,  the  Son,  the  Christ,  the  living  God  appears, 

His    radiant    face    aglow    with    intense   light ; 

Fair    New   Jerusalem,    its    dazzling    walls, 

Its    golden    streets,    before    the    world    now    lies. 

Arch- angel    Gabriel,    his    voice    of  might 

The    staid    foundations    of  the    earth    does    quake, 

From    near,    it    sounds    unto    the    distant    far, 

From    starry    heights,    unto    the    stretching    deep — 

"  AWAKE  YE  SILENT  DEAD.      COME  FORTH  TO  LIFE." 

And    lo,    from    out    the    bowels    of  the    earth 

The    Sabaoth    of  nations    rose    to    sight : 

The    nether    parts    of  Hell,    her    victims,    gave. 

From    seas'    unfathomed    depths,    unnumbered    rise': 

The    mighty    and    the    great,    the    little — all ; — 


Death's    ebon    portals    swing — unlocked — unbound. 
"  CEASE  FOREVER  BABBLING  TONGUES    OF   HYPOCRISY  ; 

WEEP  FOR  WHAT  IS  LOST YE  CANNOT  SHARE  THE  GAIN." 

Great  the  sorrow, — they  flee — they  beg  the  mountains  fall 
And    cover    up    their    sin,  their    nakedness  and  shame: 
They    fear    His    Holy    Look,    they    tremble — quail. 
Compassionate,    He    will    not    doom    them    pain ; 
Yet  they  had  spurned  His  love,  their  thoughts  were  self, 
They    gave    no    thought   to  those  that  hungered  were, 
They    cared  not  for  the  cold  and  houseless  poor. 
His    love    for    those    in    sin    no    hate    contained, 
His    kindness    kills — repaid    in    coin    unknown. 
No    hell — in    torment    did    he    cast    away, 
Those    that    were    lost — had   gone    astray,    their  soul, 
Their    anguished    spirit    dies    because    of  His 
Pure    holy    eyes :     Their    sins    in    terror    now 
Before    them    stand,    their    conscious    guilt,   the    ban 
That    dooms    them   unto    earth — again — decay. 
The    sea    is    sad    and    mourns    the    dead — it    moans ; 
The    sky    o'er    cast    with    dark    and    sombre    clouds 
Hides    light    from    day.      The  earth   in   travail  groans. 
The    Bride    is    safe — in    Isaiah's    Chamber    housed — 
Till,    purified    and    cleansed,    the    earth    is    made. 

H 


The   just    from    ev'ry    nation,    great    and    small, 

Those  that  lived    their  faith — their  conscience  obeyed. 

The    multiplex    Faiths    of  Christendom    stand 

Rewarded — justified    by    zeal    and    deed. 

Peace    and    grace    to    those    that    love   Jehovah — God, 

And    Christ,    His    Son — Redeemer    of  the    race. 

Followers    of  Mohammed — true    to    him — 

The    precincts    of  the    Koran   kept    in    truth : 

The    Buddhists,    who    thro*    self  inflicted    woes, 

(Unasked    penance)   have    gained    their    sought  abode. 

Disciples    of  the    tri-fold    Bramin    Creed, 

Re-incarnated — Him    they    knew,    unknown — 

Staid    Theurgists,    their    mystic    shrine    dissolved — 

In    liberated    vision — see    but    Him ; 

The    barbarous    savages,    who    worshiped    Sol, 

The    God    of  truth,    His    knowledge    does "  ajudge, 

Their    works,    their    faith,    tho'    simple,   He    rewards. 

Those    ignorant — no    God — no    conscience    have, 

No    law    transgressed,    since    law    they    had    not    had, 

He    shares    His    Kingdom    with,    'neath    sunny    skies, 

With    turmoil — strife — forever    put    away. 

Those    serving    Mammon — dead    are    lying    now, 

Their    odorific,    fetid    deeds    ascend, — 


See    now    their    nascent    smoke    is    curling    high — 
Lost    to    them — Paradise    they    cannot    share. 
Those    enlightened — knowing    and    doing    not — 
Agonizing — full  realization    comes, 
With    Hell — they    both — precipitate    and    end. 


16 


ALPHA. 


THE   ALPHA. 


'  I  ^HE  clouds  in  islands  break — disperse :    the  earth 
From  out  her  long  and  purging  curse  appears. 
The    smoke    of  the    World's    funereal   pyre — 
The    dark    abyss — from    darkness   turns    to    mist ; 
The    mist    precipitating    falls    and    Oh  ! — 
Bleak   and    barren — the    plain    o'er    cast    with   dearth. 
The    mountains,    with    their    sleek    and    lavaed    sides 
No    life    contained — a    cenotaph    they    stood. 
The    calid    deep  its    sibulating    ceased, 
And    cooling    winds    its    ardor    fanned    to    sleep. 


The    earth    in    pregnancy,    awaiting    pains 

Of  labor,    till    its    womb    inflated  yields 

The    offspring    of  a    fairer    land    than    was. 

The    mountains    swell,    till    like  a    mother's  breasts 

They    burst    with    milk    to    nurse   her    scion's    health  ; 

The    rills    break    forth    and    trickle    down    the    slopes, 

In    merriment    of  joy    to    now    escape ; 

They    kiss  the   earth,    in    amorous    love,    till    to 

Their    soft    embraces    Earth    but   yields,    and   brings 

Her    fruit    a    token   of  the   union's    worth. 

The    dormant    seed    now   breaks    its    fragile    cell, 

And    verdure  clads    the    hill-land    and    the    dale. 

Soft    zephyrs   breath    their    mystic   power    o'er 

And    charm,    to    ope,    the    flowers    shooting    forth. 

A    crystal    stream,    from    northward,    bends    its    sway, 

Transparent    to    its    deep    recessed    below ; 

On    either    side    of  which    grew    tree-ferns,    tall ; 

And   palm    trees,    upright    standing,    ripe    with    fruit, 

Entrellesed    round    about    the    grape-vine    grew, 

Rich    hung    in  purple    clusters,    'midst    its   green. 


20 


Here   peacocks    spread    their    gorgeous    eye-full    tails ; 

And    unmolested    lie    beneath    the    shade, 

While    tigers    leap    and    frolic    in    their   play. 

The    air    was    sweet    with    melody    of  birds, 

Who   sang    their    tuneful    songs    of  freedom    clear. 

But    see !    a    light    out   dazzling    fills    the    air ; 

A    brightness   spreads    its   glory    o'er    the   earth. — 

What    music    every   where    in   joyous    strain ! 

Ten    thousand    times    ten    thousand — yea    and    more, 

In    choral    grandeur,    sing    the    praise    of  Him. 

Fair    New   Jerusalem    descending    comes 

And    rests    upon    the   earth's    foundations    new. 

Its    walls    of  jasper    entermixed    with    gems  : 

The   jacinth,    chrysolyte    and    amethyst, 

The    chalcedony    and   the    emerald, 

Sardonyx,    pinken    hue,    with    topaz    weld, 

The    blue-green    beryl    and    the   sardius, 

The    chysoprasus    laid    with    sapphire    blue, 

Each    shade    and    color    of  the    rainbow's    hue. 

On    golden    hinges    swing    twelve    massive    pearls : 


21 


The  north,  the  south,  the  east  and  west,  each  three ; 

As    gates    unto    the    City    of  our   God. 

Within    a    Light    of  Holy    Splendor   shone, 

Reflecting,    from    the    walls,    prismatic    gleams, 

Which,    then    rebounding,    cast    upon    the    streets 

Mosaics    of  empyric    blend    and    hue. 

Enrobed    in    garments,    snowy    white,    were    those, 

That,   purged  from  lust  and  sin,   had   been,   by  Him ; 

And    thro'    the    gateways,    in    and    out    they    pass. 

Around    the    throne    of  Him,    who    gave    them    life, 

They  stood    and    homage    pay,  with    songs  of   praise, 

While    harpers    harp    their    sweet    majestic    lays. 

The  throne,  a  marvel — dream  undreamt  nor  thought — 

Where    sat   Jehovah, — God,    the    Father    of 

The    righteous   just,    thro'    Him    upon    His    right, 

His    smile    of  approbation    resting    on 

His  Son,  the  King  of  Kings,  the  Great  High    Priest, 

Who    took    the    yoke    of  man    that    all    might    live, 

Who    conquered    sin    and    burst    the    gates    of  Hell 

That    myriads    of  dead    might    live    again. 


22 


Moses,    Daniel,    Job,    Ezekiel,    Isaiah, 

Samuel,    Elijah,    Jacob,    David, 

Abraham,    Isaac,    Jeremiah,    John, 

The    twelve    apostles — all    around    the    throne, 

And    hosts    of  those    that    led    in    truth    and    light. 

Then    Christ,  descending,   mingles  with    the    throng — 

A    brother    and    a   succor,    yea    a    friend. 

The    angels,    sing    the    song    of  love    and    triumph, 

In    symphonic    tongue ;  musicians    deftly, 

With    ethereal    touch    accompanying — 

The    city's    walls    vibrating    sweet    with    tune  : — 

All    heaven — Earth    resounding    with    its    ring. 

From    streets    of  buhl    and    aulic    splendor  of 

The    Temple,    they,    that    live   without    the    gates, 

Their    homeward  journey    went,   some  beside  streams, 

Where  trees    o'er  hang  and  shed  their  sweet  delight, 

And  swans    o'er    glide,    the  mirrored  pool,  unharmed, 

In    regal    majesty.      The    trees    with    fruits 

And    blossoms    are — to    charm    and    satisfy. 

Some    upon    the    sunlit   mountain    slopes    dwelt, 


Where    cattle    grazed    or    slept,    when    full,    content : 
Where    fig-trees    spread    their  cooling  leaves,  and  held 
Beneath   its    treasured    gift,    when    ripe    to    fall. 
Where  eye  could  reach,  in  peace  and  joy,  they  dwelt. 


24 


A    REMEMBRANCE. 

^C   To    the    only   woman    in    history    of  whom    these 
lines    could    be    written,   ^t 

/^  O  !    bring    ye    flowers,    rich    and    rare  ! 

Bring    only    those — the    white    and    fair ; 
The    saintly    iris — purity, 
And    emblem    of  virginity : 
Close    the    shutters  !    lest    the    light 
Cast    a    shadow    of  the    night  ; 
Toll    the    church    bells — slow    and    long ; 
Hush    the    minstrels'    merry    song : 
Muffle    soft    the    beating    drums, 
Angels    now — a    legion    comes, 
To    gather   up    her    scattered    dust : 
To    last — her    valiant    love    and    trust — 
Her    Country — God ;    to    each    was    true, 
From    childhood    both    in    spirit    grew. 
Each    flame    a    saintly    halo    cast — 
Illumed    her    face    as    in    the    past ; 
She    saw    beyond    this    earthly    sphere, 
And    soft    a    sound — it    reached    her    ear — 
A    voice    had    called    her,    she    had    gone, 
And    darkness    spread    the    smiling    dawn. 

25 


WHIP-PO-WIL. 


TJARK!    a   bird 

Quaintly    sings, 
Loud    and    shrill : 
"  Whip-po-wil. " 

In    the    field, 
Ere    the    dawn, 
Breaks    the    still — 
"Whip-po-wil." 

Children    shout 
"William"    rout, 
With    their    taunt — 
"Whip-poor-Will." 

Happy    swains 
Wend    their    way, 
To    the    lay — 
"Whip-po-wil." 


26 


Lowing    kine, 
Fresh    with    wine, 
Know    the    sad — 
"Whip-po-wil." 

Twilight's    gleam 
Lures    him    forth 
With    his    shrill 
"  Whip-po-wil. " 

Darkness    now 
Light    enwraps  : — 
Hush  !    be    still — 
"Whip-po-wil." 


27 


THE    RESCUE. 


"O  OLLING   billows — crash    and    splash- 
Against    the    rocky    quay, 

Higher    now    in    frenzy    dash — 

And    sweep    with    vengeful    sway. 

Tossed  and  oarless,  drifting  on, 
A  boat  is  seen  to  rise ; 

See  !  a  child  is  clinging — God  ! 

Then  gone  to  gazing  eyes. 

"  Launch    the    life-boat,    quick,    ye    men ! 

A    lad    is    drifting,    say  ! 
Stand    ye   idly    gawking    then  ! — 

Heave    ho,    heave    ho,    away  ! " 


28 


Riding    billows,    swept    by    gale, 

The    men    with    steady    stroke,- 

Daunted    not    they    would    not   fail — 
Speed    on ; — and    God    evoke. 

Rising,    falling,    closer    now — - 

They    veer,    the    sea    is    mad, 

Closer  yet — then    prow    to    prow — 

They    grasp    and    save    the    lad. 


29 


MUSIC,    ITS   POWER. 


'  I  \HE    stone-front    mansion  was  ablaze  with  light 

Without    'twas    gloomy — a    dreary    night  ; 
Yet    cab    after    cab,    the    pavement,    rolled 
And    stopped    before 

This    mansion's    door. 
The    ladies    gowned    in    silk-stuffs    were 
And,    o'er    their    shoulders,    capes    of  fur; 
An    awning,    from    the    landing,    led 
Up    to    the    doorway,    arched    o'er   head. 
The    merry    ripple    of  laughter — Hark  ! 
Now    music's    dulcet    harmonies    pervade    the    air, — 
A    growl,    a    sniffle,    the    watch    dogs    bark — 
A    man    was    standing,    silent,    in    the    shadow's  lair, 


His    garments    were    tattered    and    torn, 

They    were    seedy    and    sheeny  worn ; 

Yet    he    stood    entranced,    and    why 

Did    he    heave    a    longing    sigh  ? 

The    rain   was    falling — he    was    wet    and    cold, 

The    wind    was    blowing,    gusty,    raw    and    bold. 

A    strain    of  music,    now    and    again,    he    hears, 

His    bloated    face    brightens    and    tears, 

His    eyes,  made  dim — his  chord  of  love  revives  again 

The    days    of  youth,    smiling   disdain. 

Each    note    his  jealous    ear    imbibed — 

Now    echoes    'woke — with   phantoms    strived. 

The    street    cars    whizzing    by,    annoy — distract ; 

He    closer    leans    toward    the    fence : — 

He    grasps    and    floats,    the    tide    is    high 

It    rises — falls — its    billows    die 

The    ripples    cease,    the    tideway    backed, 

The    gloom    appalls,    the    night    intense. 


THE   WIND. 


TY  7TTH    a    whirl,    she    whizzing    comes 

Bringing    rain    and    bringing    snows. 
With    a    rush    she    rustling    goes, 
While    the    pine    tree    mournful    hums. 

Comes    the    witch, 
On    a    switch, 
Thro'    the    air ; 
Or    a-daft, 
On    a    shaft, 
From    her    lair  ? 

But    she    goes    and    answers    not 
Thro'    the    meadows,    o'er    the    bluff, 
Chasing    on    with    angry    puff, 
Till    expiring — she    is    not. 


IN    NATURE'S   GARDEN. 


T>ESTREWN    the    ground    with    "butter-cups" 

Deep    hid    behind    entwining    vines 
Of  jassmine,    intermingling,    sweet, 
Its    breath    of  Eden    with    the    pink : 
Where    ferns    frondesce,    and    shade    from    sun 
The    dainty    lilies    of  the    vale, 
The    columbine    upshooting    meets 
And    piercing    thro'    protrudes    to    view. 
Azaleas,    pink    and    yellow    blend, 
In    rich    profusion,    with    the    white. 
And    butterflies,    how    oft    they    light  ! 
To    whisper    of  a    mutual    friend, 
Of  love    they    whisper,    good    and    true, 
And    each    the    other   loving    greets ; 
When    off  he    goes — a    fickle    male — 
To    compliment    a    fairer    one, 
And    stops    anon    to    honey    drink. 
He    lingers    fondly — how    discreet  ! 
Till    drunk,    he    reels,    with    Love's    own    wines — 

33 


From    bud    to    bud — from    each    he    sups. 

A    cowslip    carpet    farther    on, 

In    gold    mosaics,    lend    their    charm ; 

And   rising    high,    a    wall    from    view, 

The    grape-vine    swings    upon    the    oak, 

Its    em'rald    clusts    anon    to    full, 

With   rare    ambrosia — to    tempt. 

And    lucious    ripe    upon    their    stems 

Are    berries    kissed    a    blushing    red, 

Awaiting    but    the    picking    off. 

And    luring    on — a    nidor    rare, 

The    violet   perfumes    the    air, 

And    dandelions    loving    doff 

Their    silken    caps    from    off  their    heads. 

The    dew-drops    sparkle — see    like    gems ! 

On    green,    on    red — a    dream    undreamt. 

And    orrised    marigolds    do    mull 

The    air,    with    fir,    and    love    evoke ; 

While    pine    trees    shed,    their    sweet-meat    strew, 

For    squirrels,    'gainst    a    drouth    alarm  : 

And    timid    lies    the    spotted    fawn. 


34 


A    murmur    of  sweet    melody, 
The    ripple    of  the    forest    stream  : 
And   merging    forth    we    spy    its    banks 
Its    rock    strewn    course    of  stepping    stones 
And    tufts    of  rarest    maiden-hair 
Are    peeping    from    among    the    grass. 
Entranced    we    wander    with    the    brook 
And    drink    of  Nature's    hidden    treat. 
Now    twisting    thro'    and    on,    past    all, 
Becaught    by    rose    thorns    as    we    pass, 
As    if  to    stay    our    onward    path, 
Behold  !    the   gods'    own    palace    hall, 
Encentered    with    a    placid    sheet — 
The    sacred    of  the    sacred — look  ! 
Reflecting    like    a    mirrored    glass, 
The    trees,    the    sky    and    clotted    air 
Their    color    each    in    faithful    tones — 
Above    nor    with    no    painting    ranks, 
A    mockery    they   are    and    seem — 
For   nature,    go    and    nature    see. 


35 


The    willows    drooping    shed    their    cool, 
Where    fish    are    darting    in    the    blue : 
And    skimming    close,    the    swallow    flies, 
Then    soaring    high    above    it    glides. 
The    tom-tits    hang    fantastic    nests, — 
Protection    to    its    growing    young, — 
On    cross    twigs    of  a    lowly    branch. 
Where    ruddy-breasted    linnets    sing 
And    carol    while    the    blue-jays    chirp ; 
And    humming    birds    inject    their    bills 
Into    the    honey    suckle 's    frills. 
No    foe    encrouched,    none    dared    usurp, 
'Twas    free    from    lusty    woodman's    fling  : 
'Twas    Nature's    gift    to    earth    enhance, 
Where    echoes    oft    resounding    rung 
And    brought    us    back    our    playful   jests. 
With    reverence    and    careful    strides, 
Lest    tread    we    on    blue    "baby-eyes," 
We    homeward    trod — alas,    too    true ! 
Like    children  going,    first,    to    school. 


THE   ANTIQUARIAN. 


T  TE    sits    enrapt    in    what    he    sees — 

Some    past   historic    script    he    reads 
Which    tells    of  former    grandeur — fame  ; 
When    young    in    years    the    earth    was    rich 
In    splendor    of  barbaric    kings, 
Their    temples,    gods    and    gorgeous    shrines ; 
How    wars    were    fought,    where    honor    shines  ; 
How    for   his    Love    a    lover    sings, 
Or   where    some    sage    an    honored    niche 
Had    gained,    in    learning,    for    his    name  ; 
Of  sacred    rites   and    fabled    creeds, 
Where    all    is    lost    in    mysteries. 
About    him    lie    the    treasured    bits 
Of  tablets    found    entombed    where    once, 
In    might,    a    city's    walls    arose 
And    sacred    kept    within    her  gates, 
Against    the    foe's    opposing    force, 
The    art    and    culture    of  her    prime. 
Escutcheoned    armor    dark    with    time, 

37 


sr- 


Inlined    a    boar    or    prancing    horse. 

Another    gift    of  kindred    fates, 

A    lamp    instudded    round    in    rows, 

With    gems    that    long    have    stood    the    brunts 

Of  kings    ancestral    lines    and    flits. 

A    spear    that    once    a    chieftain    brave 

Had    winged    against    his    enemy  : 

A    shield    that    bore    the    scars    of  use 

And    turned    the    shaft    of  death    to    earth : 

Papyrus    writ    at    time    unknown, 

A    treasured    relic    of  the    past. 

Encased,    from    hands,    a    sculptured   cast 

Of  some    fair    maiden,    hewn    from    stone ; 

And    emblematic    of  past    mirth, 

A    dancer's    timbrel    hangs    in    truce : 

And   hung    the    walls    hi    tapestry 

That    once    had    graced    a    cloister's    nave. 


IF   WE   ONLY   KNEW. 


TTF    we    only    knew, 

The    future    as    an    open    book, 
The    snares    of  life — its    pits — 
To    the    bottom    could    we    but    look — 
Beyond    the    mists — what   lies  ? 
If  we    only    knew. 

/ 
If  we    only    knew, 

At    daybreak,    of  impending    doom, 

Of  cares   unbid,    their    strife 

And    the    shadows    that    cast    a    gloom, 

Our    faith    in    all    would    fail ; 

If  we    only    knew. 

If  we    only    knew, 

When    labor    and    our    work    was    o'er 

That    we    would    climb    the    heights 

Of  the    mountains    or    above    them    soar- 

Our    songs    to    swell    the    choir ; 

If  we    only    knew. 


39 


HARVEST. 

j*  1840  jt 


R' 


EAPERS    sweeping, 

Faster    creeping, 
Cut    the    golden    grain : 
Sweet    its    nidor    fills    the    air, 
Blessing   nature    unaware. 

See  !    the    happy    swain, 
Robust    flinging, 
Sythe-blades    swinging. 

Rakers    piling, 
Mounds    beguiling, 
Follow   in    their    trail ; 
Merry   jesting,    spinning    yarns 
'Bout    the    fish    in    yonder    tarns ; 
Or    the    speckled    quail, 
After    chasing, 
Lost    in    placing. 


40 


Birds    are    mating, 
Vows    are    stating, 
In    the    orchard    by. 
List,    their    happy    ringing    note 
As    they    past    you    wafted   float 
Upward    to    the    sky, 
Disappearing, 
Lost    in    veering. 

Haulers    crawling, 
Teamsters    bawling 
To    the    lazy    team. 
Ever    onward    going    they, 
Working,    toiling    all    the    day, 
Till    the    twilight's    gleam 
Bids    them    hauling 
Cease,    till    morning. 


Home-ward    going, 
Cows    are    lowing 
In    the    pasture    field, 
Wistful    looking    at    the    hay, 
Till    it,    sweet,    before    them    lay. 
Happy    in    the    yield, 
Lays   in-toning, 
Bees    are    droning. 


42 


THE   JESTER'S   TOAST. 


TTERE'S    to    the    health    of  die    porcupine, 

Gurgle    and    swizzle    the    sparkling    wine ; 
Beds    of  ease    amid    sweet    eglantine, 
Underneath    ambrosia's   juicy    vine, 
'Wait    for    thee    when    drunk    with    love    divine. 
Mansions    of  dreams,    tinted    carnadine, 
Fill    every    cup    of  the    foaming    stein. 
Once    to    the    health    of  the    friends    of  thine, 
Once    to    the    health    of  the    friends    of  mine — 
Drink    and    be    merry !    for    this    we    dine. 


43 


MAIDENHOOD. 


IKE    the    bloom    of  a    regal    flower, 

Peeping    forth    from    its    leafy    bower, 
Buds    and    bursts    to    a    full    blown    rose, 
So    the    child    to    a    maiden    grows ; 
Beauty,    grace,    are    her   potent    power — 
Crowned    by    wit,    'tis    an    envied    dower. 


AMBITION. 

^t  Etude    de    Lyon    Verse 


/~T~VREAD    he    must    upon    frail    rounds, 

On,    up,    winding,    ever    high'r, 
Now    oft    clinging,    hearing    sounds 
Faint    below  ;    till    lost — entire. 


45 


THE   POET   OF   THE    SUBLIME. 

£k  John    Milton  jit 


1p\ARE    I    tread    thy    lofty    height, 
Shedding    pure   its    holy    light. 

Dare    I    lift   my    voice    to    sing, 
When    I    hear    thy    music's    ring. 

List    each    cadence,    high    or    low, 
Throbbing    rife   with    Nature's    glow. 

Noble,    full,    its    upward    climb, 
Grand,    enchanting    and    sublime. 


46 


TT°NEST    "Hers    of  the    soil, 

Thy    life    with    gold    is    gilded ; 
Birds    and    trees    commune    with    thee, 
Not    liars,    thieves    and    rascals ; 
Till    thy    farm,    tho'    tired    be, — 
Nature    breathes    her    life    for    thee ; 
Drink    the    draught    until    it    thralls 
Thy    soul    to    sweet    tranquility ; 
When    to    nature    thou    art    wed 
Lighter    grows    thy    burd'some    toil. 


47 


THE   SOWER. 


T?URROWS   plowing, 

Earth    endowing, 
'Rich    with    golden    grain. 

Sunlight    streaming, 
Blackbirds    screaming, 
Follow    in    his    wake. 

Nearer    coming 
Hear   him    humming, 
Soft,    a  joyous    strain. 

Then  a-veering, 
Lost  to  hearing, 
In  the  vast  opake. 


48 


THE    BRIDE    OF   THE    SEA. 


*  I  MiE    lights    of  the    city    glimmer    in    the    far, 

The    moon    its    lucid    pathway    casts 
Upon    the    calm    and    peaceful    sea. 
Sweet    music    floats    from    shores    alea, 
And    vessels,    with    their    gay    trimmed    masts, 
Glide    over    the    water,    skimmer    as    a    star. 

The    strength    of  the    tide,    re-ceding  from    the    bay, 

Out    carries    merry    couples,    swift, 

And    half  heard   jests    and    snatches    heard 

Of  songs — a   kiss — the    maid    demurred, 

Yet   lets — -permits,    the    youth's    sweet    gift. 

They    pass    from    our    hearing,    drifting    in    the    gray. 

The  night  from  its  darkness  bursts    and    in    the    East, 

The    morn,    its    ochered    dawn,    peeps    forth 

And    with    it    comes    the    tide's    return. 

The    harbor    lights    have    ceased    to    burn 

And    light    of  day    now    sheds    its    worth. 

The    tide    from    the    sea    returning    gave    its    feast. 


49 


It    brings    on   its    heaving    bosom,    in    the    light, 

Its    bride    of  but    the    night    before 

And    firm    it    holds    her    to    its    breast, 

Lest    others    would    its    sweet    caress ; 

Its    prize    it    bears    from    sea    to    shore 

There    heaps    on    her    kisses,    frenzied    with    delight. 


IDOLS, 

OR 

HERO   WORSHIP. 

T)UT    not    thy    trust    in    mortal    flesh, 

It    topples, — falls — when    seen    at    best 
Tho'    strong    its    pedestal    may    seem, 
There    comes    a    time — a    flash, — a    gleam — 
It    shows    to    you    the    broken   rest, 
Which    crumbles    then — to    dust    a-thresh. 


PARTED. 


OHE    lies    beside    the    ivied    church 

Up    on    the    hill ; 
Where    mornings,    birds    their   matins    trill, 

From    silv'ry    birch  : 
Where    evenings,    when    with    darkness    cloaked, 

The    stars    evoked, 
And    plaintive    vespers    swelled,    to    fill, 

From    chancel    rail, 
The    church-yard,    weird    and    pale. 

She    lies    entombed    in    earthly    clay, 

With    others — dead  ; 
Yet    living    in    a    heart,    by    grieving    bled, 

She    is    to-day. 
The    tolling    church-bells    tolling,    now, 

Means    sorrowed    brow : 
Where    Love    does    darkened    pathways    tread ; 

Alone    to    leave, 
To    memory,    its    bitter    grief. 


DAVID'S    PRAISE. 

£  Psalm    cvii — 8  £k 

'  I  ^HY    hand,    O    Lord,    is    upon    me. 

It    maketh    me    bold  : 

As    a    lion    goeth    forth    to    feed    its    cubs  ; 
As    an    eagle    soareth    the    sky,    and    feareth    not 
So    I'  walk    with    upright    head. 
My    heart   is    full ;    I    sing    thy    songs : 
I    maketh    harmonies,    in    tune    to    thy    praise, 
With    harp    and    instruments    of  string. 
Sweet    incense    of  love    I    burn    to    thee 
Almighty,    Just,    the    God    of  gods — Jehovah, 
Mighty    and    great    is    thy    name,    O    God  ! 
Let    children    of  men    fall    before    thee : 
Let    sack-cloth    be    their    garments 
And    let    them    cease    not    praising    thy    name  forever. 
Thy    love,    O    God,    exceedeth    understanding  ! 
It    maketh    the    heart,    of  the    sorrowful,    glad. 
Praise    thee,    O    Lord,    forever  ! 


53 


As    the    rain,    when   it    falleth    on    parched    ground, 

Is    drunk    with    eager    lips, 

So    thy    Spirit    is    received    by    thy    people. 

Let    angels,    in    legion,    sing    thy    praise  ; 

Let    the    stars    protrude    through    darkness ; 

Let    the    sun    paint    thy    glory    in    the    skies  ! 

As    the    flowers    attest    their    homage, 

And    breathe    their    perfume,    as    incense,    to    thee, 

Let    men,    creatures    of  dust,    bow    before    thee, 

And    sing    of  thy    goodness    and    love. 

The    wind    moaneth    and    weepeth    not, 

The    sea    dashes    its    fury    against    the    rocks, — 

Its    anger    a   froth — they    moveth    not, 

So    let    thy    servant    be    staid 

Amid    the    warfare    of  life.      Selah. 


54 


AUTUMN'S   GIFT. 


'VTATURE    with    her    artist-brush 

Tints    the    leaves    a    ruddy    blush- 
Golden    edged    with    flaming    red, 
Brown    with    red    or    gold    instead, 
Yellow — centered    green,    they    fall ; 
Unalike    they    one    and    all. 


55 


MODERN   ART, 

OR   ART    FOR   ART'S   SAKE. 

£k   A    Satire  £k 

f  I  ^HEY    brazen    forth    for    vulgar    show, 

They    paint    without — the    base    and    low 
A    harlot's    form,    her    very    grace, 
And    inspiration's    gift    eface. 
Their    brush    is    dipt    in    flaring    scobs 
Which    but    destroys — its    beauty    robs — 
Why    paint    a    form    with    soulless    eyes 
When    they    alone    would    draw    a    prize  ? 
Unhasp    thy    fettered    wings    and    soar 
O    Angelo  !    of  ancient    yore, 
And    breathing    o'er,    not    lust    but    love 
That   leads    the    mind    to    look    above. 
Would    artists    paint    the    semi-nude, 
With    deft    like    hand    omit    the    rude, 
But    catch    a    glimpse — -when    she    unseen — 
How    chaste    and    pure  !    enarmoured    glean — 
And    Love's    undying    mistress    sits    a    queen. 


A   ROSARY. 


PRELUDIUM. 

'  I  VHE    candles    gleaming,    brightly    shed 

Topazic    light ;    a    halo    o'er    His    head ; 
And    incense    burning,    sweet    with    spicy    scent, 
Perfumed    the    air ;    and    subtile    lent, 
Its    fragrance    to    the    sacred    hour, 
As    did    the    rarest    Easter    flow'r. 

PRIMA. 

With  feelings  deep  her  breast  was  stirred, 
Her  sins,  with  prominence,  her  virtue  blurred. 
O  God  !  how  would  or  could  He  her  reprieve, 

Yet    she    had    faith    to    it    believe  ; 

With    contrite    heart    and    flowing    tears, 

She    kneels    to    Him,    who,    loving,    cheers. 


57 


SECUNDA. 

Her    azure    eyes    shy    glances    stole, 
And    smiling    did    a    youthful    heart    cajole ; 
The    lesson    read,    the    chanting,    all    unheard, 

The    anthem    sung,    no    thought    inferred  : 

Intent,    enrapt    in    all    she    saw, 

The    service    failed    her    mind    to    draw. 

TER.TIA. 

Devout    she    sat,    in    hazy    mist, 
Half  hearing    what    the    preacher    said,    I    wist ; 
The  thought  of  those  she  loved,  now  past  and   gone  ; 
She    saw    them    rise,    by    angels    drawn, 
And    He    enthroned    on    High,    above, 
Receive    them    all,    with    equal    love. 


INTERLUDIUM. 

Glory,    Glory,    to    the    Father,    God  ; 

Allelulia,    Allelulia  : 
To    the    Son,    Glory    and    Praise 

Allelulia,    Allelulia : 
Glory    and    Praise,    to    the    Lord,    forever : 

Mirabile    dictu, 
The    Holy    Ghost,    Glory,    Amen ; 

Mirabile    dictu, 
Forever    and    ever    Aman  ; 
Glory,    Allelulia,    Glory 

Forever, 
Glory,    Allelulia,    Amen. 

&UATRA. 

She    gazed    about    unconscious    where ; 
Her    ruddy    face    was    stoic,    free    from    care : 
Her    beads    were    hanging   listly    from    her    hand,- 

A    daughter    of  the   poorer    band ; 

And    wond'ring    why    the    others    tears  ? 

While    she,    her    conscience,    has    no    fears. 


59 


QUINTA. 

Intent,    her    soul    with    rapture    fills 
With    words    of  cheer,    that    peace    and    love    instills. 
Each    word,    each    thought,    divine,    to    Heaven    led  ; 

The    music,    sweet,    her    longings    fed, 

Her    heart    was    full,    she    saw    the    far, 

Its   pearly    gates,    for    her,    ajar. 

SEXTUS. 

With    hoary    grace    he    knelt    and    prayed ; 
His    faith    and    hope   in    Christ    were    firmly    laid ; 
Each    bead,    his    lips    in    holy    prayer   moved, 

As    well,    for    sin    it    now    behooved : 

He    blind    to    doubters'    rudeful    stare — 

He    sees    Madona,    saintly    fair. 

POSTLUDIUM. 

The    organ   pealed    forth,    its    tune 
Of  sweetness,    while    the    chorus    sang    its    lay  ; 
Higher,    louder,    now    majestic    is    its    sway, 
Softer,    sweeter,    floating    thro'    the    air, 
Running,    chasing — fairies    from    their    lair ; 
Mighty,    swelling,    climbing    to    the    height, 
Crashing,    dashing,    ending    with    delight. 

60 


A   STORM    AT   SEA. 


'  I  ^HE    sky    was    somber    and    lowering, 

The    day    far    spent, 
And    the    sea    o'er    the    deck    was    flowing ; 

The    mizzen    sail    rent — 

And    the  gallant  ship  had    sprung  a  leak  in  the  hold  : 
The    wind    was    blowing    a    terrific    gale, 
Gaining    in    force    as    o'er    the    open    sea    it    bowled, 
And    the    hearts    of  the    bravest    men    did    quail, 
As    peal    after    peal    of  the    distant    thunder    rolled, 
And    the   lightning    lit    the    sky    with    its    lurid   flame. 
The  ship — now   on    the  crest  of  a  mountainous  wave, 
Half  out — then    down — down    the    watery  course  she 

came, 
Half  submerged,    trembling — she   rose    for    another    to 

brave. 
The    sturdy    seamen,    tho'    faint    at    heart, 

Loud    laughed    and   joked — 
As    they    told    of  the    mermaids'    art  — 
How    "Davy"    was    stoked — 

61 


And    then    "What    a    royal    spread    we'll    make    for 

the    fish?" 

But    as    the    water   in    the    hold   increased — 
Faster — they    spake    not    of  the    mermaids'    witching 

wish, 

No,    nor    of  the    fishes'    awaiting    feast, 
But    rather    they    thought    of  the    dear   loved    ones 

at    home, 
And    with    this    thought    in  -their    minds,    renewed 

energy 
They    put    into    their    work,    and    ere    dawning    of 

day, 
When    the    fierce    winds    and    the    angry    sea    lost 

their    sway, 
The    staunch    ship,    proud,    on    her  journey,    safe 

speeded    away. 


62 


THE  COQUETTE  AND  THE 
YOUTH. 


AS    the    dew-drop    loves    to    linger    on    the    petals 
,          .  , 
or    a    pink, 

Till    the    sun's    outbursting    splendor    takes    its    sparkle 

to    itself, 
So    the    youthful    lover    lingers   at  the  gateway    of  his 

love, 
Till    the    merry    stars,    their    twinkle    fills   the  heavens 

all    above. 

How    the    creaking    of  the   hinges    told    the  neighbors 

of  a    call 
(And    the    number    of    the     callers     would    a    modest 

maiden    pall) 
And    her    merry    ringing    laughter    at    the    question    of 

the    youth : 
"  Would  she  ever,   could  she  ever  be   his  helpmate — 

be    his    wife  ? ' ' 


But    the    answer    to    his    question    was    evaded    by    a 

jest, 
Yet    he    loved    her    all    the    better    and    attentive 

lingered    near. 
Was    he   jealous    of  a    rival  !    she    would    calm    him 

with    a    kiss  ; 
Then    forgotten    was    his    doubting ; — she   his    darling, 

she    his    miss. 


64 


THE    REFORMER. 


A   RISE !    desires    of  perfected   state, 

Tumultuous    swell    with  justful    hate 
My    breast,    (too    oft    in    peaceful    rest) 
Against    the    evils    that    infest 
My    brothers,    sisters,    children — all. 
Accursed    let    the    mighty    fall 
And    crumbled    lie    beneath    the    dust, 
If  they    forsake    their    honest    trust. 
Must    we    stand    with    shackled    feet — 
Pinioned    arms    and    see    defeat  ? 
Rather   by    the    sword    and    blood, 
Than    sink    beneath    this    awful    flood, 
We    perish ;    equal    rights — the    gain 
To    share — intact    the    rest    remain. 
We    dare    appeal    to    honesty — 
The    heart    of  magnaminity — 
Support    and    help    down    trodden    man, 
Romove    the    cause    and    burst    the    ban. 


A   TRAVELER'S   VISION. 

J*  Washington    Irving  ,jt 


o 


(VER    the    sea, 

To    the    land    beyond  ; 
America,    my    country — free. 


Home    of  my    youth 
And    of  inurned    sires ; 
America, — I    love    in    truth. 

Pride    of  a    heart 
That    is    loyal — true  ; 
America,    to    thee   my    art. 

There    to    the    end, 
Of  a    life    in    trust ; 
America — receive    a    friend. 


66 


LA    LUNA. 

1 


A 


SILVER    disk    amidst    the    clouds 
Now    out    shining,    now    in    shrouds. 


Enthroned    she    glides    with    regal    grace 
While    the    stars    each    gain    their   place. 

The    Queen    of  Love — enamoured    they — 
After    trailing — leave    the    day. 


EQUALITY. 


T  TNEQUAL   is    the   race, 

Yet    such    the    Will,    till    they    apace, 
By    dint    of  education,    gain    the    goal. 
Time    may    go,    its    surges    roll  ; 
Each    must    work    their    destiny 
And    Wisdom's    will    their    potent    power   be 
Till    then    remain    they    as    they    are — 
The    goal    from    them    afar. 


68 


THE    HUNT. 


'  |  ^HE    bugle    sounds    from    o'er    the    lea, 

The    hounds    are    barking — mad    with    glee 

Nearer,    nearer, 
Thro'    the    coppice    crashing    come : 

Louder,    louder — • 
Sounds    the    eager    huntsman's    hum. 

The    horses    nearing   now    a    rail 

With    graceful    ease,    the    scantling    scale ; 

Faster,    faster, — 
Reynard    gains    and    leaves    the    field, 

To    the    woodland : 
Fate    apparent — doom    is    sealed. 

Now    plunging    thro'    the    mucky    bog, 
Then    leaping    o'er    the   mossy    log ; 

Eager    after, 
Follow    hounds    that    lead    the    chase, 

Gaining    slowly — 
Nearer — now    within    a    pace. 


69 


The    fox's    strength    begins    to    go ; 
He    turns — and    facing    meets    his    foe 

Closer,    closer, 
Fear — a    dash    and    all   is    o'er — 

Mad    with    frenzy — 
Reynard,    limb    from    limb    is    torn. 


70 


LO,   AM    I. 


T>ENEATH    the    earth,    the    sea,    the  sky — 

Where    e'er    thou    look,    above    or  high, 
Within,    without,    and    always    nigh — 
Lo,    am    I. 

Unuttered    tho'    thine    anguished    cry — 
Lo,    am    I. 

The    grass    you    pass    a-going    by, 
The    autumn    leaves    that    falling    lie ; 
Forsaken    left    alone    to    die — 
Lo,    am   I. 


NERO'S   COMMANDS. 

Jit  The    Burning    of  Rome  ^t 

TTIGHER!    Higher! 
Build   the   pyre. 

Quenchless    fire, 

'Curst    behold! 

Princes'    gold 

Shall    rise    in    smoke    away, 
Their    homes    in    ashes    lay." 

"  Higher  !    Higher  ! 

Hear,    I    say  ! 

Ere    the    day. 

I    do    rule 

Thou    my    tool, 

To    touch    the    blazing    torch — 
And    they    to    feel    its    scorch." 


72 


"  Leap    ye  !    Leap    ye  ! 
Crackle    flames — 
Thro'    the    frames. 
I    will    build, 
Friezes    guild — 
The    envy    of  the    world — 
Ye    ashes,    smoke    encurled." 


73 


THE   TWO    LOVERS. 


P 


BATTER,    patter, 

On    the    roof. 
Clatter,    clatter, 

Horses'    hoof. 
Matter,    matter, 

All    enough  ; 
Hatter,    Hatter 

Sniffs    his    snuff. 
Hannah,    Hannah ; 

All    a-fluff; 
Ana,    Ana ; 

Sleeves    a-puff; 
Dana,    Dana ; 

Stern    and    gruff : 


74 


«'  Undeceive    me, 
For    you    grieve    me ; 
Laughing,    fooling, 
Loved   unruling  : 
Thou    and   Ana, 
Stately    Hannah, 
Fix    this    matter 
With    old    Hatter — 

Bid    him    go  !  " 
Clatter,    clatter, 

Let    him    know, 
Patter,    patter, 

Thou    and    he 
Chatter,    chatter, 

One    will    be. 


75 


PERDU. 


T"\IRT    and    mire 

Filth    and    scum- 
None    admire — 
All    are    dumb — 
Yet    they    sire, 
Nature's    fairest, 
Flowers    rarest. 

From    the    mere, 
Waxen    leaved, 
Lilies    pere, 
Golden    sheaved — 
Left    to    sere 
Where    the    grasses 
Sing    their    masses. 


SO  CALLED  REALISTS  VS.  POETS. 

^*  A    Satire  £t 

/~1TVHEY   flout   the   poet's   sylvan   lays 

And  call  him  daft — unfit  for  modern  ways, 

Yet    tear    him    from    the    weary    heart 
And    buoyant    Hope    from    all    would    soon    depart. 

His    sympathetic    hand,    the    clouds 
Dispells    or    shows    beyond    their    somber    shrouds, 

A    vision    fair    and    beauteous. 

Untrue,    unreal    to    life    they    say — 
(Untutored,    blind    they    see    no    sunny   day ; 

No    soul    inspiring — men    are    brutes, 
And    made    to   live    and    die    as    dusky    Utes. 

No    Golden    temple    lies    within 
Where    peace    and    quiet    reigns    above    the    din, 

Instead    a    dark    and    gloomy    cell.) 


77 


A    poem    dipt    in    flame    sublime, 
Its    heights    in    scaling — call    a    senseless    rhyme ; 

Would    do    for    women    or    a    few, 
But    they — they    want    but   journalistic    brue. 

Their    skies    are    dark    o'er    streaked  with    red, — 
The    breasts    they    suck   protrude,    by    vitrol    fed 

Which    burns    away    or    sears    their    soul. 


AN    INCA   QUEEN. 

t£   On    the    unearthing    of   a    mummy    of  an    Inca    Queen 


f  I  VHOU,    Queen    of  once    a    haughty    race, 
Thy    smile    is    now    a    weird    grimace  ; 
Thy    hair    which    hung   in    glossy    fold 
Was    interwoven    rich    with    gold ; 
While    now    disheveled,    wild    and    dull, 
'Tis    hanging    wanton    from    thy    skull : 
Once    lovers    true    thy    fair    hand    sought, 
For    thee    and    honor    bravely    fought ; — 
Alas  !    for    now    with    thee    are    they, 
Thy    friends    and    foes,    alike    are    clay. 


79 


A   GLIMPSE   OF    EDEN. 


/^RAPE-VINES    swinging, 

Clusters    clinging, 
Purple    are    with    wine. 

Golden    apples, 
Red    in    dapples, 
Tempt    the    palate's    glee. 

Bird-notes    ringing, 
Praises    winging, 
Fill    the    garden's    shrine. 

Fair    a   river, 
God    its    giver, 
Winds    upon    the    lea. 

Now    dividing, 
Four    are    gliding, 
Each    a    regal    stream. 


80 


Chaliced    bowers, 
Hued    with    flowers, 
Deep    are    hid    with    trees. 

Bees    out   plucking, 
Stamens    sucking, 
Gather    honey's    cream. 

Ardor    wafted, 
Love    ingrafted, 
Breathes    the    balmy    breeze. 

Nought    disturbing, 
Love    uncurbing, 
Adam    there    and    Eve. 


81 


IS    HONOR   DEAD? 


TTUMANITY  !    Humanity  ! 

Thy    fate    hangs    in    the    scale 
Thy    cheeks    are    blanchen — pale — 
Humanity,    humanity. 

Humanity  !    Humanity ! 
Where    is    thy    guiding    star  ? 
It    gleams,    unseen,    afar ; 
Humanity,    humanity. 

Humanity  !    Humanity  ! 
Thy    plumed    wings    are    frail 
And    soaring    sink    to    trail ; 
Humanity,    humanity. 


82 


Humanity  !    Humanity  ! 
Weep,    wail    and    cry    for  peace, 
Let    not    thy    pleading    cease  ; 
Humanity,    humanity. 

Humanity  !    Humanity  ! 
Thy    luxuries    are    dross 
And    counteth    to    thee    loss  ; 
Humanity,    humanity. 

Humanity  !    Humanity  ! 
Thy    sires'    ashes    mold, 
Thy    love    has    waxen    cold  ; 
Humanity,    humanity. 


Humanity  !    Humanity ! 
To    action    and    to    self; 
Away    with    cankered    pelf; 
Humanity,    humanity. 

Humanity  !    Humanity  ! 
Thy    songs    belie    their    name, 
A    dirge    would    fit    thy    shame ; 
Humanity,    humanity. 

Humanity  !    Humanity  ! 
Forget    'tis    night    and    wake ; 
For    Honor   is    at    stake : 
Humanity,    humanity. 


84 


EMERSON    IN    THE   WOODS. 


^TATURE,    Nature,    ev'ry    where— 

God    Eternal    breathes    the    air. 
Mountains    raise    their    hoary    heads, 
Flowers    blooming    in    their    beds — 
All    thro'    All    and    He    thro'    All- 
Song-birds,    sweet,    obey    His    call. 
Red    and    green    autumnal    leaves, 
Garnered    trophies,    golden   sheaves  ; 
Silvered    fishes    in    the    pool, 
Darting   in    and    out    the    cool : 
Moss    that,    lace-like,    hangs    on    trees  ; 
Bells    that    bloom    on    sheltered    leas ; 
Cones    that   fall    from    spicy    pines ; 
Ruddy    berries    on    frail    vines  ; 
Sunset    with    its    vari-hues ; 
All    attest    and    pay    their    dues. 
Nature,    Nature    ev'ry    where 
God    Eternal    breathes    the    fair. 


THE    HAUNTED    CHURCH. 


CHILDREN    passed    with    dreaded    fear, 
Older    people    said    'twas    queer. 

Since    the    death    of  Deacon    Brown, 
Loved    by    all    within    the    town, 

Wails    and    screeches    could    be    heard, 
(Vouched    by    trusted    person's    word.) 

How    at    night    when    passing    by 
They    were    startled    by    a    cry. 

And    for    years    it    now    had    stood, 
Reft    of  chancel    rail    and    rood. 

Rocks    demolished    window    panes  ; 
Wind    and    rain    the    room    profanes. 

Midnight    trav'lers    quaked    with    fear, 
When    they    passed    the    church-yard    near. 


86 


Youth    and    sweetheart,    walking    nigh, 
Speak   not    love    but    heave    a    sigh. 

There    the    bats,    in    somber    glee, 
Pass    within,    from    out    the    free. 

Spiders    hang    their    byssine    nets, — 
Glow-worms    act    as    candle   jets. 

Swallows,    on    the    rafters    tall, 

Build    their    mud    nests,    free    from    all.    ' 

Beetles    chirp    the    vesper    song ; 
Frogs   join    in    and    help    along. 

JVhen    one    night,    when    all    was    still, 
Rang    the    bell,    it    sent    a    chill. 

People    talked    and    gossips    said : 
"Deacon    Brown    was    six    years    dead." 

"On    that   very    day    he    passed 
To    where    Saints    are    all    amassed." 


Some    one    said,    "  Investigate — 

Who    would    dare    and    chance    their    fate  ?  ' ' 

Some    it    favored,    others,    "No," 
They    refused    to    trust    and    go. 

Six    in    all    made    ready    soon ; 
Ere    the    rising    of  the    moon. 

Armed    with    candles,    guns    and    spear, 
Ropes    and    ladders — Harken  !    Hear  ! 

Screeches    filled    the    vaulted    room, 
Fancied    thought    did    form    assume. 

Candles    lit    were    soon    out    put, 
Some    one    stumbled,    hit    his    foot. 

Lit    again,    with    beating    heart, 

Thro'    the    church    they    onward    start. 

Up    the    belfry    stairway,    they, 
Creaking    now    with   Time's    decay. 


88 


Screech  !    an    owl,    from    towered    perch, 
Echoes    woke    within    the    church. 

In    the    moonlight — wings    outspread — 
They    had    thought    it    walking    dead. 

And    what    caused    that    startling    peal, 
They    that    went   in    public    weal, — 

Found    a    rotted    beam    that    fell — 
Struck    and    rung    that    silent    bell. 


89 


SHAKESPEARE. 

"  O    now,    forever 

Farewell    the    tranquil    mind." 

(Othello.) 

TV  /TIGHTY    man    of  genius    rare, 

Well    knowing    all    the   ills    and    good 
That    Nature's    kin    are    heir. 

Love's    or    Melancholy's    mood 
Portray    thou    in    a    master    hand, 
Which    critic's    eye    withstood. 

Pleasures  sweet  and  sorrow's  pangs 
Created  thou  from  England's  land, 
Amid  the  warsome  clangs. 

Fancies    flitted    thro'    thy    brain, 

And    well    thou    knew    and    understood, 

The    fairies'    hid    domain. 


90 


Passions    swelling    thro'    the    breast, 
Thou  •  culminate    with    wit    and    care, 
And    crown    with    merry    zest. 

Rising    oft    in    tragic    might : 
Our    mind    in    wonder    sways, 
Thou    giver    of  delight. 


SCIENCE. 

^t  A    Satire  ^t 


1 REAT  men  of  science,  named  as  such  ; 
(Inflated  minds  of  learning  much) — 
Yet    with    audacity    they    claim, 

Superior,    their    knowledge    than    the    One, 

Who    made    the    earth,    the    sea    and    skies : 
They    doubt    the    Godhead's    simple    truth 
And    rear   with    diction    doting    whys : 

Their    own    egregious    suppositions    tell, 

And    ask    us    faith    and    credence    give 
Some    absonant    and    startling    tale ; 
They    tell   us    how    in    complex    strain, 

'  In    the    vast    backward    and    abysm    of  time ; ' 
The    earth    and    moon    together    one 
Conglomerate    and    viscous    mass, 
Rotating    swift   in    empty    space, 

Together    with,    and    aggravated    by 


92 


The    solar    tides,    which    swaying    thro', 
Dividing    made    the    moon    and    earth : 
(They    claim    the   earth    from    chaos    came, 

But    whence    came   chaos    ne'er    can    they    explain.) 
E'en    man    they    try    to    catenate  ; 
His   form    and    value    underrate, 
And    credit    give    to    shiftless    chance ; 

From   tadpoles    wriggling   in    the    slimy    pool, 
From    larvae    of  Ascidians    too : 
Thro'    apes    and    monkeys — earnest    thou, — 
So    loud    declaim    these    learned    few. 

How    myriads    of  years,    now   past    remote, 
With    snail    like    gait    we    came    the    way, 
Anon    to    man    perfected    grew, 
While    tracing    deep    our    earthly    tomb : — 

Yet    lack    they    still    the    needed    abreuvoir 
Completing    long    their    fragile    chain, 
(Or    monumental    massive    frame, 
Ambiguous    in    language    claimed.) 


93 


IN    LOVE'S   DOMAIN, 

OR 

THE   POET'S   WOOING. 

OOFT    gliding    o'er    the    glassy    pool, 

They    linger    'neath    the    willow's    cool 
How    drinks    he    to    his    pleasure's    full — 
Angelic,    sweet    and    fair   her    face — 
To    earth    again  ;    another    pull, 
They    disappear    and    leave    no    trace. 

The    by-path,    long    forsaken    now, 

Save    by    some    youth    or    straying    cow, 

They    stroll    in    silent    extacy, 

O'er   brimmed    with    love's    eternity, 

Where    babbling    brooks    forth    songs    evoke, 

And    lazy    frogs    awake    and    croak. 

A    fallen    tree — they    rest — and    shy 
He    slips    his    arm    about — but    why 
Intrude  ! — the   happy    scene    profane  ! 
How    long    the    monarch    there    had    lain  ! 
Its    bosom    nurtured    many    dream, 
Betraying    not    by    word    or    gleam. 


94 


They    wander    by    the    mossy    brook, 
Coquetting,    it    their    picture    took — 
A    slender   maid    with    golden    hair, 
And    laughing    eyes,    all    debonair ; 
A    youth,    Adonis    like    in    grace — 
But    ripples    come    and    both    eface. 


95 


THE   THREE   ANGELS. 

^t  A    Birth  £t 


T  TER    angel    hovers,    that    the    pain    to    bear 
Be    softened    by    a    holy,    loving    care. 

His    angel    watches    o'er,   with    spreading    wings, 
Proclaiming   joy    in    music's    gladest    strains. 

Its    angel    guards    and    laurel    brings 

To    crown    the    sweetest    name    that    earth    contains. 


96 


UNIMPASSIONED    SERVICE. 


/^>  LICK— click— click— 

The    myriad    of  voices    sound, 
Tales    of  woes,    of  hopes    and    fears, 
Uncanny    tales    that    all    astound, 
Crimes    of  youth,    of  ageing    years, 
Draws    no    sympathizing    tears  ; 
Be    the    message    that    of  love 

Tick — tick — tick — 

The    murmur    harshly    sounds    above ; 
A    fortune    lost,    a    duel    fought, 
A   belle    of  former    years    insane, 
It    hears — but    hearing    all    unsought — 
Expresses    naught    but    calm    disdain ; 
The    battle    fray,    its    slaughtered — slain — 

Click —  click — click — 
With    merry    zest    and    wanton    mirth 
It    tells    the    tale    of  famish — dearth. 


97 


A    BACHELOR'S   CONTENT. 


T?  MPURPLED    curtains    arabesque  ; 
Antique    a    carved    writing    desk : 
Reclining,    sweet    with    comfort    brought, 
He    sits    content    in    dreamy    ease  ; 
Fantastic    grows    his    mind    unsought 
With    visions    best    that    loving    please. 

Soft    hazy    grows    the    air    and    why  ? 
As    circles    up    the    circles    high : 
Ethereal    his   fancies    are — 
Deep    azure    eyes    and    golden    hair 
Are    floating  past    him    in    the    far, 
Alluring    him    to    Beauty's    lair. 


98 


He    smells    the    subtle    perfume    sweet, 
Of  times    when    he    was    indiscreet  ; 
How    thought    he    then    his    passions    true, 
His    love    undying,    she    his    queen : 
Yet    time    with    love    and   feeling   flew, 
Alone    remaining    mem'ry's    sheen. 

Another    floats    in    fancy    by, 
And    tender    grows    his    loving    eye ; 
Tho'    wrinkled    now   her    saintly    face 
And    streaked    with    gray    her    chestnut    hair- 
He    gazes    long,    its    features    trace, 
As    circles    high    it    in    the    air. 


99 


THE   JOURNEY'S   END. 


TT  7HEN   on   the    shore   of  hallowed   time, 

When    locks    are  gray  and   tinged  with  rime, 
We    look    back    o'er    our    trodden    path, 
Where    lies    our    follies — there    a    scath. 
If  but    we    could    the    scars    eface  ! 
If  but    we    could    perfection    trace  ! 
Alas !    we    knew    nor    thought    in    youth 
That    age    would    carve    unwelcome    truth. 
Our    bacchic   pleasures    tasted    sweet ; 
We    did    our    will — were    indiscreet. 
But    now    ere    life    has    closed    its    day, 
And    feeble    steps    attend    our    way, 
We   see    that   when    the    sun    was    bright 
'Twas    dark    and    somber, — day    was    night ; 
And    sorrow    was    refining    fire 
To    fill    us    with    a    soul's    desire. 


100 


ODE   TO   YO    SEMITE. 


TJAIL! 

Yo    Semite, 

Sublime    and    grand : — 
Thy    rising    rocky    cliffs, 
Thy    deepen    sunken   rifts, 
Thy    verdured    hills  ; 
Thy    rippling   rills  ; 
My    praise    command — 
Yet    awes    my    praises    still. 
Thy    mystic    "Bridal    Veil," 
The    rarest    gem 
Of  thy    bejewelled    crown, 
With    filmy    splashing    spray, 
Its    iridescent    hue 
Of  rainbows    showing    thro', 
As    speeds    it    on    its    way. 
"El    Capitan "    whose    massive    walls 
The    gazer's    mind    appalls  : 

101 


Thy    rushing,    crashing    water-falls, 
Thy    rich    beflowered    mountain    trail 
My    soul    with    longings    fill. 

Hail! 

"South    Dome,"    the    throne 

Of  once    fair    Tissaack, 

The    Valley's    Goddess    great ; 

Whose    feathered    wings 

Have    left   behind   their    trace, 

For    springing   from    the    dale 

Below, — thou    honored    dome, 

White    violets    of  purest    grace, 

Beside    the    meadow's    mere, 

Attest    her    presence    dear  : — 

How    once    Tutockanula,    Chief, 

To    'scape    his    melancholy    grief 

From    "  Capitan  "    to    South    Dome    track, 

A 

Bedecked    as    for    some  gaysome  fete, 
With    painted    face    and    golden    rings 
From    peak    to    peak    and    trail 
He    onward   hies, — 
Away    she    flies — 

102 


In    vain    his    love    was    wasted, 

Its    sweetness    never    tasted. 

Thy    ribboned    name    sake    fall, 

The    highest    of  them    all ; 

With  just    affinity 

Lays    claim    to    trinity  : 

Thy    "  Glacier    Point," — the    view 

From    overhanging    rock — 

More    wonderful    and    new : 

Thy    mirrored    lake, 

Reflecting    tall    and    great 

The    valleys    beaks    in    state ; — 

The    massive    walls,    the    trees 

Their   primal    tint    partake. 

Fair   Illilouette, 

Thy    shooting    stream, 

At    noon    a   seething  jet — 

Prismatic   in    its    gleam  : 

Nevada   rushing    forth 

In   regal    splendor    falls 

And    crashes    deep    below, 

Then    running    swiftly    onward    cool, 

In    cataract    of  diamonds    flash, 

103 


Then    still    and    deep    in    "Em 'raid    Pool" 

It    gathers    fresh    for    final    crash — 

When    off  and    o'er    again 

Now    "Vernal"    is    its    name. 

And    laughing    white, 

Below   it   whirls 

'Mid    "Happy    Isles"; 

Soft    singing    yet    the    whiles 

With    pure    delight 

As    thro'    the    meadows    green    it    curls. 

Hail! 

Again,  *  thrice    hail  ! 

Yo   Semite : — 

Thy    praises    ring 

From    vale 

To    trail  ; 

Thy    waters    sing 

As    ripple    they 

In   joyful    play  ; 

Thy    flowers    sweet 

Doth    strangers    greet 

And    "Welcome"    say. 

104 


Alas !    due   justice    not 
I    give    to    thee — 
I    fail — am    lost — 
In    passions    tossed. 


105 


A    MODERN    BELLE. 


TJELINDA    with    a  jaunty    grace, 

Smiling    eyes    and    saucy    face ; 
Coquetting    with    a    native    born — 

•   Lightly    trips    the   terraced    lawn, 
Elusive    lest    he    think    her    tame 

Off  she    goes    as    coming    came — 
His    rival,    meeting,    stops    to    talk 

He    alone,    obliged    to    walk, 
Else    stand    till    she    unwind    her    string — 

Scandal,    gossip, — both    'twill    bring. 
Unlucky    he    or   lucky    say 

He    who    stays — who    stays    away. 


106 


THE    HERMIT. 


T  HAVE   no   friends— 

I    want    no    friends — 

Save   nature    in    its    myriad    of  countless    forms ; 
A    butter-cup,    or    better    yet,    a    spray    of  ferns- 
The    butter-flies, — the    garden    worms — 
My   love    for    them    with    fervor    burns. 
I    see    in    them    a    friend    of  truth — 
They    love    and    answer    not — 
They    speak    and    murmur    not — 
Away  !    ye    babbling    rabble — away  !    forsooth. 


107 


THE    GLORY   OF   OUR    FLAG. 


TT7HEN    flung    to    breezes,    sunlight    lit 

How    swells    the    breast,  with  passions  swift, 
In    love    and    valor    closely    knit, 
Till    lost    the    sense    does    drifting    drift. 

Our   sires'    blood    has    stained    the    red 
Which   gleams    with    glory    of  the    past — 
We    hear    again   the    deeds    of  dead 
That    slumber    now    where    gloom    is    cast. 

The    stripes    of  white,    sweet    purity, 

Are    mothers'    pray'rs    for   peace    and    good — 

For    Freedom, — Love    and    Unity, 

For    God    and    Country,    both,    they    stood. 

The    tears    of  loved    ones    glist    as    stars, 
Inset    in    heaven's    azure    moat, 
Which,    tri-fold,    crowns    co-equal    bars, 
That    winds,    unfurling,    glories    float. 


108 


GOLD. 


/^OLD,    Gold, 

The    goal,    from    birth    to    death,    behold  ! 
It   lures    the    youth,    it    lures    a    host ; 
They    grasp    its    shimmering    form, 
Alas    to    some — alas    to    most ; 
It   fades,    beyond    the    mad   storm. 
Some    unscathed    have    reached    and    held, 
(Avarice    with    purpose    weld) 
Elusive,    past    it    you    glide, 
Anew    you    try,    anew   you   fail ; 
Old    age   has    come    to    deride — 
Becalmed    you    have — a   flapping    sail 
You    drift,    awaiting   winds — too    late. 


109 


Gold,    Gold, 

Its    throne,    a    cradle    does    enfold 

Where    some    are    lulled,    in    drowsy    sleep 

And    hear    not    murmuring    want — 

The    harvest    theirs — which    others    reap. 

No    wolf,    a    hungering — gaunt — 

Stands    before    their    well    latched    door. 

Storms    of  life,    their    angry    roar 

Sweeps    by    and    over   their   head. 

From    gemmate    youth   to    manhood's    height 

They    feel    nor    hear    haunting    dread, 

Their    songs    are    airy,    gaysome,    light — 

Their    night    is    starry,    roseate    cast. 


no 


DIANA'S   HUNT. 


THE    PREPARATION. 


Ii^ORTH,    from    the    stream,    ye   naiads,    fair, 

Diana    bids    thee    hasten    pace  ! 
Forth    from    the    woodland's    sylvan    lair, 
Come    dryads,    too,    to  join    the    chase  ! 
See  !    on    the    mountain    slopes    are    stags  — 
Lost    to    the    one    that    loiters  —  lags. 
Hark  !    to    the    baying    of    the    hounds, 
They    leap    with  joy    to    hear    the    horn  ; 
Eager    for    sport,    each,    woodward    bounds 
To    rout    the    deep    sequestered    fawn. 


in 


THE    HUNT. 

Off,    through    the    wood    with    dart    and    bow, 
Alert    lest    game    escape    away. 
On,    through    the    vale    they    deeper    go, 
Till,    high,    they    climb    the   mountain    way. 
Swift,    through    the    air    their    arrows    dart 
Straight    to    the    mark,    each,    cleaves    a    heart. 
Loud,    do    the    dogs,    with    barking    stay 
The   pathway    leading    to    retreat  ; 
Keeping,    in    fear,    the    doe    at    bay, 
Till    piercing    missies    calm    defeat. 

THE    RETURN. 

Borne,    by    the    breeze,    announcing    gain, 
To    those    that    had    from    hunting    staid, 
Songs    of  the    victors    swept    the    plain, 
Till    they    emerging    filled    the    glade. 
Each    from    the    hunt    a    trophy    had, 
Over    her    shoulder,    like    a    lad. 
Proudly    they    bore    their   anthers    high ; 
As    soldiers,    when    returning,    come 
Straight    from    the    field    with    triumph's    cry, 
In    martial    step    to    beating    drum. 


I  12 


IN    BONDAGE. 


T\  yTY    heart    doth    yearn, 
My    spirits    burn  : 
I    would    be    free, 
Yet    dare    not    flee — 
Before    are    walls 
I    cannot    scale ; 
Behind    appalls — 
My    cheek    doth    pale — 
Unfathomed    depths, 
Where    to    descend 
Would    be    to    end. 


WAKING   THE   WILD    FLOWERS. 


A   URORA    comes, 

And   lambs    proceed 
Attached    to    cords, 
Of  pinken    silk  ; 
They    frisk   thro'    grass, 
Thro'    meadows    green, 
Thro'    valleys,    dales, 
O'er   hilly    slopes, 
And    bids    them    forth 
Their   flowers    ope  : 
Small    baby-eyes, 
Of  sky    blue    hue, 
Forth    petals    shoot, 
To    charm    and    lure  ; 
And    poppies   rare, 
In    orange    dye, 
Awake    and    nod  ; 


114 


While    butter-cups, 
Of  golden    tint, 
With    equal    grace, 
Their    faces    show  : 
And    "jonnie-jumps  " 
Tho'    deeply    hid, 
In    grasses    tall, 
Obey    her    call : 
The    sweet    wild    rose, 
Of  dainty    pink, 
'Mid    leaves    of  green, 
With    pleasure    smiles 
Upon    the    train : 
And    lilies    fair, 
Of  snowy    white, 
On    tallen    stems 
Of  texture    light ; 
Their    beauty    add, — 
The    scene    enhance  : 


Shy    daisies,    small, 
Their    utmost    try, 
To    catch    a    glimpse ; 
To    see    her    smile : 
Empurpled    bells, 
Of  silken    text, 
In    ecstasy 

Peal    forth    their    thanks 
The    fruit    trees,    too, 
With    blossoms    sweet, 
The    pathway    scent, 
With    perfume    rare  : 
And    singing    birds, 
With  joyful    songs, 
Announce    the    news — 
Aurora    comes  ; 
As    flying    they, 
From    tree    to    tree, 
Are    wont    to    go. 


116 


THE    IDEAL. 


~j\  yf"Y    fond    ambition    lies    beyond, 

Entowered,    high,    above    the    clouds, 
I    follow    on — I    grasp — 'tis    gone  ; 
Again    I    grasp — a    mist    enshrouds — 
Yet    still    I    hope    and    follow    on. 


117 


TO   A   SNUFF    BOX. 

jt  A    Sonnet  «£t 


ECEPTACLE   of  that   once    fond    delight 

Of  dear    ancestral    sires    and    kith    of  blood ; 
Who    oft    were    wont    to    bring    thee    forth  in    trite — 
A  pinch — to  sniff, — while  tears  would  flush  and  flood 
The    uninitiated — loud    cachoos, 
One    followed    by    another,    till    the    last. 
It    was,    (in    troth)    a    fond    and    loving    ruse 
Oft    played    on    children    and    the    gentler    cast. 
Thy    sweet    vignetted    face,    now    dim    with    years, 
With    puffed    hair    in    odd    and    quaint    design 
Recalls    to    memory,    as    mystic    seers, 
That    rare,    exquisite,    gracefulness    benign, 
Enhancing    maiden    beauty    of  thy    time, 
When    nature    tinted,    pink,    thy    cheeks    with    clime. 


118 


THE   PASSING   CENTURY. 


/^\UT    on    the    iron    crane    of  time, 

Swung   by   the    smith    with    his    mighty    arm, 
Swings    the    century,    hoary    with    rime, 
Moulden    and    shapen    beneath    its    barm. 

Swift    as    it    moves    to    its    graven    place, 
A    shadow   it    cast    on    the    pregnant    earth : 
Darkly    the    dawn,    of  an    age,    we    trace ; 
Dumb    at    the    thought    of  its    awful    birth. 


119 


WHERE   SHADOWS   FALL. 


T1ENEATH    the    shade    of  spreading    trees, 
In    nook    sequestered    from    the    breeze, 
Where    birds    their    songs    of  praises    sing, 
As    from    the    ground    to    branch    they    wing, 
And    ripples    of  the    streamlet    near, 
Are    heard    with    sweetness    to    the    ear. 

The    sunlight   here — a    shadow    there : 
A    dream    of  forms — then    vanished — where  ? 
On    trailing    vines    that    cling    to    oak, 
Where    nectar    hangs    'neath    purple    cloak ; 
Where    lilies    rise    with    saintly    grace 
And    incense    breathe — a    lover's    place. 

A    long    deserted    trail    or    path, 
Now    thick    o'er    grown — an    aftermath — 
A    space — a   well — reflected  joys — 
Here    nature,    nature's    lover,    cloys 
With    buzz    of  bees    as    to    and    fro 
From   buds    and    blossoms    oft    they    go. 


THE   POETESS   OF    LOVE. 

<£  Elizabeth    Barrett    Browning  «»t 


LOVE    that    love    is — good    and    true 

That    loving    love    is    both    and    two ; 
And    ranging    sweet    in    sweetest    strain 
Is    ventured    forth,    but    not    in    vain. 


121 


LOVE'S   POET. 

^8  Robert    Browning  £ 


TT7"E    read    thee    once — our    duty    do, 

We    read    again    with    pleasures    new 
Thy    love    is    true    to    Nature's    art — 
It    pierces   thro' — into    the    heart. 


122 


AT   GATES   OF   SONG. 


T   LINGER   at    the   gates    of  song, 

I    fain    would    stay    and    linger    long. 

The    melodies,    sweet,    fill    the    air  ; 
The    harmonies    are    rich    and    rare. 

Here    winged    songsters,    swift    in    flight, 
With    tragic    lays,    pierce    thro'    the   night. 

Here    love    with    sweetest   jealousies 
With    love    unsullen   best    agrees. 

And    dreams,    of  songs    enchantment,    lure 
Poetic    thoughts    from    prose    demure. 


Spero  Meliora. 


123 


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